Here’s a very important little fact that may make you think about trying out videos:

4 times as many consumers would rather watch a video than read text!

That’s a big deal! There’s a reason that so many more people are doing vlogging (video blogging) than ever before. You may now be thinking, is this why people aren’t reading my blog? Actually, blogs are still very powerful tools, when done correctly. Likewise, video marketing has to be done the right way to be effective.

While personality can come through a blog, it’s even easier to do with video. People like to connect with people. But beyond that, people respond well to visual cues. Finding the visual style for your business is critical so that anyone watching any of your videos know what you’re about. Putting a face to your business, even if it’s an animated person or mascot, helps draw in viewers.

Videos don’t replace a blog, they complement it.

Video is an awesome, powerful inbound marketing tool. But as with any form of marketing, it has its limitations. Videos are a great way to attract people, announce product releases or events, or provide helpful information.

However, blogs do some things well that video’s don’t, providing helpful roundups of resources, for example. But like blogs, videos are a great way to tell stories. You just need to figure out what stories will work better as videos than in blogs.

This is why you need to work with video marketing experts who have created campaigns for varied fields. Utilizing their experience, you discover what types of videos, what visuals, and other factors are best in attracting the audience you’re looking for. Video marketing is powerful, as long as you do it right.

Email marketing is still one of the most effective and affordable ways to get the word out about your business. Done correctly, it’s just as effective for nonprofit organizations as it is for for-profit businesses. In the Cape Cod Times, there’s a great article about how nonprofits can create winning email marketing campaigns, written by Jane Renzi of Jane Renzi and Associates. There’s some great advice in there how to build an effective email marketing campaign for anyone. So, it inspired us to offer some of our own advice on the subject of email marketing for nonprofits. Read more

While not everyone will take social media or online reviews of your business to heart, there are plenty of people online that take social media comments seriously. Of course, when they are positive, you’re more than happy to respond and thank them for their kind words. But what about when the comment is decidedly negative, and you’re not sure what to do? Read more

With the remodeling business growing all the time, it’s becoming harder for home improvement companies to stand out among increasing competition.The number one marketing weapon you can have with any business is a custom website, and it’s especially true for home improvement companies. From roofing contractors to full-service design-build construction companies, custom websites are a necessity in today’s highly competitive home improvement market.

Homeowners often get at least three bids from different home improvement companies before starting a remodeling project. So, you want to ensure that you have a custom website that potential customers not only can easily find online, but that will stand out in visitors’ minds when they are making a buying decision.

A Custom Website Helps Harness the Power of Local SEO

Search engines are your friend, especially when it comes to local search. For years, many contractors have relied on directory listings for leads. Some still do. But in today’s online world, search engine users are looking for a solid website. Home improvement companies without a website, with an outdated website, or with a website that is clunky or difficult to use on mobile devices simply will not capture leads effectively.

A custom website should be built with responsive design, earning that it will display well and function properly on virtually any device. Many potential customers use their smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices to do their searches now. You want to have your local listing linking to an effective website that is easy to navigate, easy to find information, and with effective call-to-actions that make it easy to contact you.

If you aren’t ranking qwell on local searches, a custom website with the proper SEO (search engine optimization) work done and responsive design will dramatically improve your search rankings. It’s simply a must-have lead generation machine. Companies without websites or ineffective websites simply can’t compete with companies that have well-executed custom websites.

Custom Websites Can Show Off Your Projects, Products and Services

Having an up-to-date, state-of-the-art website can also be a source of pride for your business. You’ve long been able to have a portfolio of work on a website, but nowadays, you need a custom website that displays your work effectively on every device. Having a custom responsive design website ensures that you show off your past projects as best as you can no matter what device the website visitor chooses to use.

Also, custom websites allow you to showcase your services and favorite products with style. Your website is a great way to highlight value-added services, too. You may even have a blog that talks about recent projects and exciting news about new products or services that you’re offering. Just try not to over-sell.

A Custom Website Builds Your Company’s Credibility

Businesses that invest a lot of time and energy into their websites show potential customers that they really care about their business. So it’s really no surprise that a new custom website, when properly executed, can lead to a lot of new business out of the gate.

The real advantage with building a custom responsive design website is that the back-end is just as flexible as the front-end. What this means is that your website can be always evolving. Every time you want to change something, it doesn’t require your entire website to be rebuilt. You want to have a website that can evolve and grow with your business, not a website that is stuck in the past and that your business outgrows.

If you have a website that grows and adapts to the current state of your market and remains effective and relevant, this builds your company’s credibility in a way that no other marketing tool can.

Whether you’re a small one-man operation out of a truck to a large full-service construction company, a custom website can work wonders for your business. It will give you a step-up on a great deal of your competition and put you head-to-head with the best in the business. A custom website that is built with responsive design and adapts to your needs is the greatest investment your business can ever make.

https://www.118group.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/homepage-website-design.png350583Dale Shadbegian/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/118Group-Logo.pngDale Shadbegian2017-01-02 12:31:462017-12-15 20:37:40Why a Custom Website is a Must-Have for Home Improvement Companies

Introduction Building a brand in this day and age is both easier and harder than it used to be for start-ups in Cape Cod and elsewhere. On the one hand, there are lots of tools available for the start-ups that are trying to build a brand. However, your competition may be using similar techniques. People who are concerned about their prospects or people who want a competitive advantage should consider working with a seasoned professional in the field. Then, Cape Cod start-ups can start to gain an edge over their competitors.

Start Up Tips For Brand Creation

Web Design The quality of a start-up’s website makes all the difference. People need websites that are visually appealing and easily accessible. Websites today also need to be mobile-friendly, since so many people access the Internet on their mobile devices. An iconic website can be instrumental in start up tips brand creation. A lot of brands are highly visual in nature, and web design is probably the most visual aspect of Internet marketing today.

Social Media Marketing There’s no getting around the need for social media today. Even if companies can build their brands without social media today, if they don’t have social media profiles, they’ll be regarded with suspicion. A well-maintained social media page can help people become established in the field and gain new customers immediately. It’s better to have one social media page on one website that is well-maintained than several that are almost never updated.

Content Strategy Content creation is an important part of Internet marketing. People go online looking for informational articles and other types of content. The start-ups that are able to supply those pieces of content are going to attract new customers. Depending upon the type of content they release, they’re going to potentially make their brands synonymous with certain styles of writing. It’s important to include the right keywords without keyword stuffing or any other practices that are going to ultimately prove counter-productive.

Persistent Internet Marketing Ultimately, the most successful start-ups are the ones that market themselves more successfully than others. Start-ups that have great products in addition to good marketing are going to be the most successful. People need to take all of the different marketing strategies today and pursue them as aggressively as possible. Start-ups don’t need to become successful overnight. With persistent marketing, people can become successful later after they have laid down a solid foundation of Internet marketing.

Using a medium that people are already familiar with is a great method to interacting with customers. Text messaging is a great opportunity to communicate on a personal level and increase sales. Best of all it’s quick, easy to use, and budget-friendly!

Consider these stats:

● 1/3 of Business Professionals can’t wait 10 minutes to respond to a text

● 70% of employees think that companies should use texting for internal communication